Our Diary of the little changes we are creating in the lives of Melghat adivasis

Sunday, 29 April 2012

Formation & begining of MAHAN

Due to lack of propermedical facilities & superstitions, tribal goes to traditional faithhealers / quacks (pujari & bhumkas) for treatment of illness. Skin is burnt with red hot iron rod for reducing pain known as Damma.

Moved by such things, we started the project in Melghat in November 1997.

In 1998, I resigned from the post of lecturer in the department of Medicine of M.G.I.M.S. Sevagram and registered a voluntary organization,‘MAHAN’,with the help of like minded people, and started hospital in Melghat. In the beginning, there was no financial support from anybody. During post-graduation and lecturer ship in Medical college, due to simple living especially simple court marriage, I could save some amount. I used those money for running hospital in Melghat. After 4 months, honorable Dr. Sushila Nayar who was the great supporter of the project provided financial support and since then MAHAN &Kasturba Health Society, Sevagram are running this project.

I started hospital in four rooms rented house in Dharni. It was used for out patient department and for indoor patients in addition to my residence.

Subsequenly started OPD in a hutin one of the farms, at Kolupur. Cycle/ bullock cart/ scooter/ walking were the only options I had at that time for going to nearby villages.

In the beginning, there was no money with our MAHAN trust for purchase of land. I purchased one hector of farm near village ‘Utavali’ and leased it to MAHAN trust for 25 years without any rent. This place was named as ‘Karmagram’ subsequently. Karmgram is surrounded by jungle & farms. One side of road are farms & on other side is complete jungle. One Km from there is a water reservoir where wild animals come for drinking water.Snakes of different species like kobra, viper, krait are like pets, keep visiting Karmagram anytime. Situation forced me to learn catching the snakes. We catch the snakes & release in jungle.Now karmagram is shaping up prograssively & is permanent address of MAHAN.